Speech #910310453

From its annual report submitted to the United Nations recently. we learned of its indefensible practice of using United Nations funds for the feeding of various members of the PLO. Such practices have prompted the New York Times to label the activities of UNRWA as calling on the U.N. to "subsidize the subversion of its peaceful purposes." The CommissionerGeneral of UNRWA has failed to deal with the problem of a U.N. agency subsidizing the terrorism the Security Council is trying to halt. This failure in large part stems from the agencys failing to draw the line between caring for the refugees and catering to the Arab terrorists. In 1966. after the United States had declared its reluctance to contribute to UNRWA if the situation continued. the Agency turned to Arab states with a request for $150.000 the amount estimated to be going to Arab members of the PLO in refugee camps. Although the CommissionerGeneral of UNRWA had assured various member nations that their funds contributed to UNRWA would not be used to provide rations for men in training in the PLO. he has. by accepting the special donations amounting to $150.000. laid the U.N. open to the criticism and charge of having entered into a partnership with some U.N. members for the express purpose of feeding people who are conducting guerrilla activities. The language of the UNRWA report itself discloses this indefensible evasion: Doubts have been expressed by some governments about the propriety of the Agencys issuing rations which may be consumed by young men in military training under the auspices of the PLO.